The topic of food preservation is of fundamental importance for the food industry, and the production of pinsa is no exception. The need to provide safe and high-quality food to the final consumer is in fact a primary need not only for those who produce, but for all the actors in the food chain. Preservation plays a critical role in this process.
When looking at the preservation of pinsa, many people wonder whether it is better to keep it in the refrigerator or at room temperature, or whether there is also a frozen version. In this case, it is then important to distinguish between frozen and deep-frozen. Furthermore, what happens if you open the container of Nuvola and then, for some reason, you cannot consume it immediately, or rather after the canonical five minutes of cooking?
In this article we will try to provide all the basic information to store the pinsa correctly and to remedy errors or simple unforeseen events.
Food preservation: the great ally is the cold
Any organic substance is subject to deterioration because its components undergo chemical alteration processes more or less rapidly depending on the storage conditions and the type of food. The main accelerators are air, water and light.
There are important differences between baked goods, but most people are aware of the rapid hardening of common bread, due to the loss of moisture and the simultaneous hardening of the starch. In addition, bread is vulnerable to mold growth.
Processes such as freezing or deep-freezing foods tend to block, or rather slow down, the growth of microorganisms and enzymatic activity that determine the alteration of the organoleptic characteristics and the deterioration of the food.
- With the freezing process, which can be easily done even with a home freezer, the food is brought to a temperature between -7° and -12°, or up to -18° for meat and fish. It is an effective method to prolong the conservation of food, but involves the loss of some organoleptic properties. Even frozen, the food is unlikely to last more than a few months.
- Freezing is a regulated industrial process that aims to bring food to temperatures below -18° in the shortest possible time. It is also called (negative) chilling to emphasize the speed of the process. Freezing allows you to preserve food for longer and without losing nutritional characteristics. Obviously, the cold chain must be maintained along the entire path of the food from production to the point of sale.
Pinsa storage: up to 18 months, if frozen
The shelf life of the Di Marco gripper depends on the type of product and the product line to which it belongs.
For the professional market (horeca), i.e. for catering, Di Marco offers a complete line of bases made with a manual processing and completely free of preservatives. The absence of preservatives means that it is necessary to resort to freezing; in fact, these bases are previously blast chilled to -18° degrees and, ensuring compliance with the cold chain, can be stored by customers for up to 18 months.
Fridge or Ambient?
The conservation of the Nuvola product intended for end consumers and sold in GDO stores is managed differently. Nuvola is not subjected to deep-freezing, but is instead presented in the refrigerated counters in two versions: Classic and Multicereal. Furthermore, the Classic version is also offered outside the refrigerators in the Ambient variant. In both cases, the product is packaged in a modified atmosphere to guarantee freshness and a longer shelf-life, without the use of chemical preservatives.
Nuvola “from the fridge”, both in the Classic and Multicereal versions, can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature between 0°C and 4°C. The Ambient version, on the other hand, can be stored at room temperature, but it is still important to check the expiration date and store the product in a cool, dry place.
Nuvola Ambient is easier to display at the point of sale and does not take up space in the home refrigerator, leaving room for other foods. What distinguishes it from refrigerator products is the addition of sorbic acid, a natural preservative that guarantees long periods of conservation without altering the taste, consistency and freshness of the product. Also in this case, Nuvola is packaged in a modified atmosphere precisely to prolong its conservation.
Can the Di Marco pin be preserved once opened?
Finally, what happens if we accidentally open the Nuvola package and, due to any unforeseen event, we cannot consume it immediately? Or, an even more common case, if we buy the pack of two products but can immediately consume only one?
Of course, we must not throw anything away, but we must be aware that we must consume it quickly. In the meantime, there are at least two possibilities to extend the shelf life:
- In the refrigerator, sealing the product with cling film. However, it is important to consume the pinsa within a few days.
- Vacuum technique, if you have the right machine. In this case, you need to be careful to keep some air in the bag to avoid ruining the base.
